UFC 315 will go down as one of the most dramatic events of all time. Just when the curtains closed on the promotion’s presentation in Montreal, among many kinds, UFC 315 also found a story where honor and valor are as prized as physical prowess, and accusations of cowardice strike at the very heart of a fighter’s identity.

In this case however, the drama isn’t around the  main event, it surrounds the opening fight of the main card for the night, and it happened between Benoit Saint-Denis and and Kyle Prepolec. The fight was an easy turnout for Saint-Denis as he submitted Prepolec in the second round by an arm triangle to get the win. However, Prepolec wasn’t his original opponent for the night. The ‘God of War’ was destined to battle against ranked #15th Joel Alvarez but due to an injury, ‘El Fenomeno’ had to withdraw from the fight.

Questions came rising after the ‘Gamer’ revealed that the fight was first offered to lightweight prospect Mateusz Gamrot and not Prepolec. But as the Polish fighter began to cut weight, Saint Denis rejected that fight and chose to fight Kyle instead. Gamrot, ranked No. 7 in the lightweight division, offered to step in on short notice. However, according to Gamrot, Saint-Denis declined the bout. Expressing his frustration on social media, Gamrot wrote: “BSD turned down the fight next week, what’s wrong with you guys? Grow some balls, cowards!”

The controversy and questions came rising to pursue Saint-Denis as he denied ever rejecting the fight, and stating that he only wanted to compete and not delay his fight any longer. The ‘God of War’ said, “I think everybody knows me now, if he could’ve done it in Montreal, it would’ve happened. But what I wanted to do was fight in Montreal. Waiting three weeks, or one month to have another opponent was an option I could’ve had, but I didn’t even discuss [Gamrot] with my manager because I told him I’m ready, I’m fighting”.

But recently in an podcast session with Ariel Helwani, Gamrot gave us a deeper look into his side of the story, he revealed, “Bro soldiers don’t behave like that. Soldiers don’t shoot the line with your father and friends. I have a message in my phone that I, I have call from UFC that Sean Shelby asked me about can I step to the fight. I started packing my baggage from my room, you know. I was ready to go to Montreal, I start cut weight, but he say no. I don’t know why? Especially after he called me out like two times before this fight so I thought 100% he accepted this fight but, this was big surprise to me.”

Now however, things are different. Saint-Denis is back in the winning column and Gamrot needs a formidable opponent to defeat and bounce back from his loss to Dan Hooker at UFC 305.

So until both fighters settle it out, lets take a look at other instances in UFC history where fighters declined short-notice bouts, leading to controversy and accusations of cowardice.

When UFC fighters denied short-notice fights

On many instances the fans have been left dissapointed, the UFC has been left in questions and in some of these moments, fighters have even been fired from the promotion. So clearly it is a situation where no fighter would want to be. But that is the gamble of this fight game. Stepping up or stepping down in such moments has always affected a fighter’s repution in front of the MMA community.

In one instance, ahead of UFC 228, the welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was scheduled to fight then rising talent Darren Till. As Concerns arose about Till making the weight, the UFC started considering Kamaru Usman as a backup opponent. However, Woodley publicly stated he would not accept a short-notice fight against Usman, emphasizing the need for a full training camp to prepare for such a formidable opponent.

In another shocking turn of events, the former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos reportedly declined a short-notice fight against Marcin Tybura at UFC 260, citing insufficient preparation time. Following this refusal, the UFC released him from the roster. This move by Dana White & Co. was met with criticism from the fans who felt the decision was harsh, especially considering Dos Santos’ contributions to the sport of MMA and White’s promotion.

Through the community or the promotion, walking away from big fights at the very top of this sport cannot be a forgivable offence. These instances highlight the complexities and pressures fighters face when offered short-notice bouts. While some accept these challenges, others prioritize preparation and career strategy, leading to varied public perceptions and reactions. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.